National Templates & Tools

These tools can be your first step towards small business success.
Find business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management templates & guides then get advice from a SCORE mentor for one-on-one assistance along the way.

These tools can be your first step towards small business success.
Find business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management templates & guides then get advice from a SCORE mentor for one-on-one assistance along the way.

Small business owners spend a lot of time and money on taxes and accounting. Is this a burden for entrepreneurs? Get the facts on today's tax preparation and accounting trends in this SCORE infographic.

The cost of owning and operating a technology product or service over time is referred to as the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Since the TCO may be substantially higher than the initial upfront cost, a TCO comparison can help you decide between competing solutions that at first glance may seem equivalent. Here are the key elements to consider in determining TCO. Connect with a mentor to talk about technology today.

Projecting your balance sheet can be quite a complex accounting problem, but that does not mean you need to be a professional accountant to do it or to benefit from the exercise. The desired result is not a perfect forecast, but rather a thoughtful plan detailing what additional resources will be needed by the company, where they will be needed, and how they will be financed.

A balance sheet shows the financial position of your company at a single moment in time; in this case, it will be as of opening day. Use your Startup Expenses spreadsheet to get the basic data for the balance sheet.

Plenty of factors can contribute to a business venture's demise. Sometimes it's a lack of consumer interest; other times it's a matter of bad marketing tactics. But perhaps the most deadly contributor to startup failure is not knowing how to manage your business finances.

Learn the Basics - Financial Management Tips
All small businesses have something in common: a need to fully understand financial aspects such as budgets, cash flow, pricing and balance sheets. Otherwise, entrepreneurs may not fully understand what's happening with their business until it's too late.
Lou Davenport, a SCORE mentor for over 14 years, has helped hundreds of small business owners develop basic financial management skills that lead to success. Read his advice on how you can master your numbers.

Millions of small business owners and startup entrepreneurs are masters at creating great products and services, building awesome teams and winning over customers. Many of them, however, would probably flunk basic bookkeeping. Here are basics of the 10 most common types of bookkeeping accounts for a small business that you should know.

Starting a business is not easy. An entrepreneur needs to understand and express his/her passion. To do so means developing a mission statement and a plan. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Starting a business also requires enthusiasm, energy, and persistence to market your business concepts to suppliers, customers and investors. For an entrepreneur to succeed today, he/she has to be willing to walk through walls.